148

The sun was like a blazing fireball, hanging above the boundless blue sky, scorching the earth mercilessly. The air was filled with dryness and heat, as if even breathing had become difficult. Mark wiped the sweat from his forehead, squinted his eyes, and looked at the surrounding environment. As far as the eye could see, there were only rolling sand dunes and scattered yellow bushes. The wind and sand rolled up tiny grains of sand and hit his face, causing a sting.

He licked his cracked lips, and it seemed as if there was a fire burning in his throat. The water in the kettle had run out, and the torment of hunger and thirst made him feel dizzy. He took a deep breath, tried to keep himself awake, and continued to walk towards the east. The blue gem on the top of the wooden stick still emitted a soft light, guiding him in the direction of his progress.

"We must find a water source as soon as possible..." He whispered to himself, his voice hoarse, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. He held the wooden stick tightly, his steps were slow and heavy, and every step seemed to exhaust all his strength.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, just when he was about to despair, he saw a green shadow in front of him. He was delighted, quickened his pace, and ran towards the green shadow.

As he got closer, it was a low oasis. Several tall palm trees stood in the center of the oasis, and the leaves swayed gently in the breeze, as graceful as dancing girls. In the center of the oasis, a small spring lay quietly. The spring water was clear and transparent, like a crystal clear gem, shining with an alluring light.

Mark ran to the spring excitedly, not caring about anything else, bent down, and drank it in big gulps. The sweet spring water moistened his throat, making him feel comfortable, as if he had been thirsty for a long time and was full of strength.

After replenishing the water, Mark felt that his physical strength had recovered a lot. He raised his head and looked around, and found a small hill not far away, with some green vegetation faintly visible on the top of the hill.

"Maybe there will be more water sources on the mountain..." he thought to himself. He stood up and walked towards the hill. During the climb, the rocks on the mountain loosened and he almost slipped several times. He climbed up carefully with his hands and feet, and the gravel rolled down the hillside, making a "clattering" sound.

Finally, he climbed to the top of the mountain with difficulty and found that there was indeed a clear spring in the center of the mountain. He ran to the spring excitedly, bent down, and drank it in big gulps. The spring water was clear and sweet, refreshing. After replenishing the water, he looked around and found a wisp of green smoke rising in the distance.

"There may be people living there..." He whispered to himself, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

He walked down the hillside, and the gravel rolled under his feet, making a "rustling" sound. After going down the mountain, he ran quickly in the direction of the green smoke, and the sand under his feet flew, leaving two long traces behind him. The wind blew across his face, bringing a hint of coolness, making him feel refreshed.

After running for a while, he came to a valley and found a village in the valley. The village was built on the mountain, with houses scattered in an orderly manner, and smoke rising and drifting in the air, forming a peaceful and peaceful picture.

He approached the village carefully, with light steps, as if he was afraid of disturbing the tranquility here. He found a stone tablet at the entrance of the village, which was covered with moss and the handwriting was blurred. He brushed the moss on the stone tablet with his hand, revealing the three words "Sunset Village".

Mark walked into the village and found that the scene in the village was completely different from what he imagined. The streets were empty, the houses were dilapidated, the doors and windows were broken, the walls were mottled, and there was a sense of decay everywhere. He walked forward along the street, stepping on the thick fallen leaves under his feet, making a "rustling" sound.

He pushed open a half-closed door and walked in. The room was dimly lit, the air was filled with the smell of dust, the tables and chairs were covered with thick dust, spider webs formed in the corners, everything looked dilapidated.

"Is anyone there?" he asked tentatively, his voice echoing in the empty room, but no one responded.

He walked to a table, reached out to wipe the dust off the table, revealing the original wood texture. He picked up a dusty teacup and blew gently, and the dust in the cup flew up, like a flying elf in the dim light.

"Cough cough..." He couldn't help coughing a few times, covering his mouth and nose with his hands, frowning. He put down the teacup, turned around and walked out of the room, and continued to look for other villagers in the village.

He came to the square in the center of the village. There was a dry well in the center of the square. The wellhead was built with stones, and the well wall was covered with vines. The well water had long been dry, revealing the cracked soil at the bottom of the well.

"What happened here?" He muttered to himself, his eyes full of doubts. He looked around, hoping to find some clues.

Suddenly, he heard a faint sound coming from not far away. He was startled and immediately walked in the direction of the sound.

"Help... Help..."

A weak voice came from a dilapidated house, the voice was weak and intermittent, as if it would disappear at any time.

Mark walked quickly to the front of the house, pushed the door open and walked in.

"Who is talking?" he asked with a hint of anxiety in his tone.

A thin figure was lying on a pile of grass in the corner of the room, covered with a tattered blanket. Mark walked to the side of the figure, squatted down, gently lifted the blanket, revealing a pale face.

"Water..." the man said weakly, his lips were cracked and his voice was hoarse, as if he had used up all his strength.

Mark quickly took out the water bottle from his backpack and handed it to the man's mouth. The man greedily drank a few sips of water, and his breathing gradually stabilized.

"Thank you..." the man whispered, his eyes full of gratitude.

"What happened? Why is there no one in the village?" Mark asked, his tone full of doubt. The man sighed and said slowly: "The men in black, a group of men in black took everyone away. They killed everyone on the hillside behind the village, and everyone's blood was drained."